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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23571715">Little Bird of Love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/everyones_favorite_idiot/pseuds/everyones_favorite_idiot'>everyones_favorite_idiot</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Art, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Bisexual Tony Stark, Falling In Love, Fluff, How Do I Tag, M/M, mild sexual references in the beginning, steve has never tried a cheeto, there's a bird in this</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:29:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,052</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23571715</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/everyones_favorite_idiot/pseuds/everyones_favorite_idiot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Bird</p><p>"Is this what love feels like?<br/>Because I think I'm in love with you, Tony."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve Rogers/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Little Bird of Love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Steve awoke to birdsong, thin rays of light dancing in through the window. The loud screeching of a window being opened disturbed him from where he was laying, enjoying the pleasant chirping, and his face was soon tickled by the morning breeze. “Tony…” Steve mumbled, “Why won’t you let me fix the window?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t bother me,” Tony replied, pulling the second window open with an equally irritating screech. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s it, I’m fixing it,” Steve declared, sleepily sitting up in the bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, Steve, go back to sleep,” Tony said. “I didn’t mean to wake you. I just thought you might like to hear the birds in the morning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine, I was already awake,” Steve said, sliding out of bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ever since Tony’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh-so-brilliant </span>
  </em>
  <span>idea of putting all of the Avengers into one place (okay, maybe it was smart), it had become very awkward for Steve to leave Tony’s bedroom in the morning and have to face Nat’s knowing smirk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony glanced over at Steve, who was staring at the door apprehensively. “I bet you’d fit out the window,” Tony mentioned, a smile creeping across his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, right,” Steve said, laughing a bit. “It’ll be fine. I’ve just gotta go out there and,” Steve paused, “face Nat…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Carefully, quietly, Steve opened the door, afraid of what he could find. There was nothing. Steve took a cautious step away from the door, silently closing it. He glanced both ways, up and down the hallway, and then began to speed walk away from the area. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’cha doing there, Steve?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve whipped around to find Nat leaning against the wall, dressed all in black. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How did I miss her before…? </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Nothing,” Steve responded, an edge to his voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nobody sneaks around like that when they’re doing </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Nat smirked that knowing smirk that Steve was so afraid of and slipped away, her combat boots not even tapping on the floors and her short, red hair swishing behind her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve slipped into his own room to grab his sketchbook, stopping for a moment to flip through the pages, looking for an empty one. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, those are really good,” a voice, which Steve knew was Tony’s, complimented him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Steve managed to mumble, trying to ignore the fact that most of the drawings featured the one and only Tony Stark. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, wait, stop flipping,” Tony said. “I want to see that one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The picture Tony had pointed to was of a small, chubby bird sitting on an extremely intricate tree branch, and every single stroke of the pencil worked together to create a magnificently detailed image. Upon seeing the bird, Tony gasped, his eyes shining with wonder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The picture, Steve recalled, had been extremely hard to draw, since every time he tried to sketch a line or two, the bird had shifted position or moved to another branch. Halfway through, the bird had left, and Steve had had to finish by memory. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s amazing, Steve,” Tony whispered, so quiet it was barely a breath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Steve whispered back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony didn’t know why he was whispering, but it just felt right, as if he didn’t want to disturb the magnificent, living, breathing creature trapped within the pages of Steve’s sketchbook. Tony knew it was ridiculous, but there was something so magical about Steve’s drawings, something that made them feel alive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve delicately closed the book, standing up and walking out the door. In an instant, the magic that had awed and fascinated Tony was gone. He stood up and followed Steve down the hallway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Night fell, and with it came the nightmares. The horrible, bloody nightmares that left Steve awake in a cold sweat on his bed, wishing that he could stay awake forever and never have to face the demons inside his mind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony avoided them, Steve knew, staying awake in his lab for days on end until eventually, he passed out from exhaustion, too tired to even dream. Nat likely faced them head-on and banished the fears to reside somewhere far, far away from her. But no matter how hard Steve tried, he couldn’t get the nightmares to go away by himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that was why every night, Steve found himself sneaking down the shadowy hallway to Tony’s room. But something pulled him to Nat’s instead. He didn’t know why, but before he could even find words to say to her, his hand was poised to knock on the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Steve could knock, however, the door had opened a crack, and Steve could see a sliver of Nat’s face. “Why are you here?” she asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve glanced at the ground sheepishly. “I couldn’t sleep. And it didn’t feel right to disturb Tony three nights in a row.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate to be insensitive, but join the club.” Nat opened her door just wide enough for her to slip out, revealing her zebra-print pants, a faded t-shirt from some concert, and a pair of fluffy tarantula slippers. “As you can see, I wasn’t expecting visitors,” she said, referring to her mismatched (and a bit strange-looking) pajamas. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zebra print? And tarantulas? You couldn’t find some black widow slippers?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. I couldn’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nat continued down the hallway, pausing to wait for Steve when she reached the doorway into the common area. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Although each Avenger had a floor to themselves for training, an armory, and whatever else they may need, their living spaces were quite small. Each member of the team had a room about the size of an apartment, and there was a common living space with a fancy TV and a kitchen. Much to Steve’s delight, there was a balcony that served as the perfect spot to sit, draw, and drink hot cocoa. A hallway led into a shared training space, not that anyone used it much. The majority of the Avengers preferred to work and train on their own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve sat down on the couch, grabbing the remote from the table beside him and tossing it from hand to hand, just to have something to fiddle with. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve heard Nat shuffling around in the kitchen, and when he turned around to look, he saw her crouched on the counter, rummaging through the top shelf of a cabinet and mumbling, “Why is everything healthy food?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nat tossed an old bag of Cheetos down onto the counter with a sigh, which was followed by, “This’ll have to do, I’m sick of granola bars.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nat stuffed a few Cheetos into her mouth, pausing to glance at Steve, who’s face screamed surprise. “What? They’re good!” she exclaimed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve shrugged. “I’m not judging. I’ve just never tried a Cheeto before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? You’ve never had a </span>
  <em>
    <span>Cheeto </span>
  </em>
  <span>before?” Nat narrowed her eyes at Steve. “No, no, there’s something else.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, that and... I always thought you were the healthiest Avenger,” he muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Nat asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you have a somewhat normal sleep schedule, you work hard, and every day you eat healthy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Believe whatever you want, it doesn’t make it true,” she said, plopping down on the couch with the bag. “Here, try one.” Nat held the bag out to Steve.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cautiously, Steve reached a hand into the bag. He looked at the Cheeto in his hand dubiously. It was unnaturally orange and thoroughly coated with a fine dusting of neon powder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, just trust in the Cheeto,” Nat persuaded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve rolled his eyes, leading to an eyebrow raise from Nat. “Ugh, fine,” Steve agreed, putting the Cheeto into his mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well?” Nat asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s… weird,” he decided. “It tastes like unnatural flavoring and fake cheese.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me? Those are Cheetos! The holiest of foods!” Nat exclaimed, a look of mock betrayal crossing her face. After a couple of seconds, she asked, “So, what’s bugging you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that a pun?” Steve asked, glancing at Nat’s slippers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those are arachnids, big difference,” she said. “But seriously, what’s on your mind?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve paused, exhaling. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Well, a lot actually. You know, it’s just that I’m a giant freaking burden to everyone around me and I can’t even be in a relationship with someone without screwing up and throwing my problems onto their shoulders. I’m worried that everything in this relationship is going to just disappear, and fly away, and I’ll never be able to get it back. I… I don’t want to lose you, Tony. But I don’t want to hurt you…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Birds.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Nat raised an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Birds. Love is a bird. It’s beautiful and enticing, but just like that, it disappears.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you losing feelings for Tony?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay if you are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not. I’m just afraid of losing him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And he’s afraid of losing you. I can tell. You both want each other, so why don’t you just be with each other? Don’t be afraid to ask for help, because you’re helping him too. You know what happens when you visit him? He actually</span>
  <em>
    <span> sleeps</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve glanced up at Nat. Her face looked normal, calm and composed, but her eyes seemed to scream for Steve to trust her and to understand. Steve found himself not knowing what to say, and instead reached for another Cheeto. Nat’s composed face cracked into a smile, and she said, “Come on, idiot, go talk to your boyfriend. Now, I’m going to sleep.” Nat stood up and walked away, giving Steve a friendly smile. She held the family-size bag of Cheetos close to her chest as she disappeared into the shadows of the hallway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve sat on the balcony, watching the sunrise. The oranges and pinks smeared with deep blue hues, mixing in the middle with pale shades of purple and indigo. Silhouettes of buildings stood peacefully, and in between each darkened square were patches of yellow, or pink, or blue. Steve watched as the buildings gradually colored themselves in and the streets became animated and filled with busy people scurrying from place to place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite all the colors and noises and sounds, Steve found himself entranced by a simple robin that had perched itself cheerfully on the edge of the balcony. Slowly, carefully, he lifted his pencil to his sketchpad and began to draw. The robin looked back at him, almost posing. Its small black eye stared at him calmly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gradually, the mishmash of lines on his paper took shape, forming a nearly identical copy of the robin in front of him. “What do you think?” Steve asked the bird, holding up his finished sketch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bird blinked back at Steve. Steve almost reached out to pet the little thing, but he didn’t want to disturb it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door to the balcony slid open, and Steve could tell just from the footsteps that it was Tony. “Hey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Steve responded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t see you last night. Did you sleep well?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I guess. You?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sleep? What’s sleep?” Tony asked, a weak attempt at a joke. Steve could tell, however, that the statement had a bit of truth to it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony took a deep breath. “I’m really, really sorry for causing you any trouble. I’ve been a burden to you every night, having you come into my room just so I could get a wink of sleep, and that’s been really selfish of me. I’m sorry, you don’t have to come again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Steve looked at Tony blankly for a second. “No, Tony, I need you as much as you need me. I’ve been the selfish one. This entire time I’ve been burdening you, and I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, Steve, I needed you. This isn’t your fault.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think… I think we both need each other a little bit,” Steve decided. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A silence fell over the pair, and then Tony leaned forward and Steve leaned forward and then they were kissing. It was as if all the numbness and cold from the biting March air had left Steve’s body, replaced by ecstatic warmth that filled him from head to toe. It was a silly, giddy kind of happiness that left him feeling warm and tingly, wanting to skip happily through hallways and hum cheerful songs like some kind of overexcited schoolgirl, but more than anything just longing to be with Tony.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the strangest thought crossed his mind, something like, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Is this what love feels like?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Because I think I’m in love with you, Tony.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well.<br/>This took much longer than I thought it would, I'm sorry.<br/>Honestly, I'm not very happy with it. I've spent too much time putting a lesbian couple in a lego tower and not enough time writing. I wish the bird symbol of love came through more. I felt like it wasn't really there much. <br/>I had fun writing it though. I hope you enjoyed it &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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